The Brief
- Council unanimously passed the ICE Out Act blocking private detention centers.
- Officials say the legislation is a preventative step to protect the immigrant community.
- A federal judge halted construction on a proposed facility in Hagerstown earlier this month.
ROCKVILLE, Md. – The Montgomery County Council has unanimously passed the ICE Out Act, a bill that prohibits the operation of privately owned federal immigration detention centers within the county.
The legislation, introduced by Councilmember Evan Glass and co‑led by the full Council, is intended as a preventative step to protect Montgomery County’s immigrant community, officials said.
“With this legislation, Montgomery County is sending a clear message to ICE: you are not welcome here,” Glass said in a statement. “Communities across the country are standing up to ICE and taking proactive steps to protect their immigrant neighbors. In Montgomery County, we will not wait for an immigration detention facility to be proposed — we are ensuring it is never built in the first place. As one of the most diverse communities in America, Montgomery County will continue to stand firmly in defense of every resident and their safety, dignity and rights.”…